China confirms ‘finding’ five missing youths

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, September 8

After claiming to have no knowledge about the whereabouts of five Arunachal youths, who were reportedly picked up by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the border, China today confirmed they were with them.

The five teenagers had accompanied Army personnel as hired porters to the border in Lacho area of Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh when they were picked up by the PLA while returning to their village.

“China’s PLA has responded to the hotline message sent by Indian Army. They have confirmed the missing youths have been found by their side. Further modalities to hand them over to our authority are being worked out,” tweeted Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Indian Army had contacted the PLA on September 5 regarding the five missing youths. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian had yesterday said China considered the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh” as south Tibet and that the PLA had no details about “missing Indians in the region”.